Ish-Bosheth Murdered

2 Samuel 4:1-12

Key Verse 11

How much more - when wicked men have killed an innocent 

man in his own house and on his own bed- should I not now demand 

his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!.

In this passage, mainly we will think about three things.

(1) Penalty to depend on a man: example of Ish-Bosheth (1-4)

(2) Penalty to seek the selfish benefit: example of Baanah and Rekab (5-12)

(3) Sovereignty of God in the wickedness of men

May God open our eyes to see the wonderful things in this passage!

1. Read verses 1-4. What happens when Ish-Bosheth hears that Abner died? (1) Who are the leaders of the raiding bands? (2,3) What happened to Jonathan’s surviving son? (4)

1-1) Read verses 1-4

1 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have resided there as foreigners to this day. 4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

1-2) What happens when Ish-Bosheth hears that Abner died? (1) 

1 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 

a) He lost courage (4:1)

Because He was dependent on Abner. He became a king by Abner. (2Sam 2:8,9)

He was a puppet-king. He was not equipped to be a king.

b) All Israel became alarmed. (4:1) 

Israel put their trust in a man instead of God and His Promise.

c) Penalty to depend on a man: Fear of men (v1) and of death (v7)

Does your fear come from depending on men? 

How easy it is for us to trust in visible humans than invisible God!

1-3) Who are the leaders of the raiding bands? (2,3) 

2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

a) Baanah and Rekab: sons of Rimmon the Beerothite.

b) Beeroth: a town near the border of Benjamin: 2 miles south of Gibeon

c) Gittaim: stood near the Israelite-Philistine border: exact location unknown

1-4) What happened to Jonathan’s surviving son? (4)

4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

a) Mephibosheth became lame in both feet because he fell and became disabled.

He was the last male descendant of Saul who could claims to be a king.

b) Author has been ruling out other king candidates.

Saul, Jonathan, his brothers all dead. (1Sam 31:6)

Abner is dead. (1Sam 3:27)

. Mephibosheth: Jonathan’s son is not fit to be a king (v4) due to his physical

condition.

Ish-Bosheth will be murdered soon. (v5-7)

David would be only one who could claim to be a king over Israel.

2. Read verses 5-8. What do Rekab and Baanah do to Ish-Bosheth? (5-7a)  What do they do with the head of Ish-Bosheth? (7b, 8a)  What do they say to David? (8b)

2-1) Read verses 5-8. 

5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away. 7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah. 8 They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

2-2) What do Rekab and Baanah do to Ish-Bosheth? (5-7a)  

a) Ish-Bosheth was sleeping on noonday in national emergency situation. (4:5)

He did not have any guards to protect him while he was sleeping.

He did not know what to do as a king: anything about security. 

b) They stabbed him in the stomach. [intentional murder] 

Author repeated the statement of murder twice in (4:6) and (4:7). 

It stresses that it was a premeditated and it is a very cruel murder

c) They were supposed to be loyal to their king as his soldiers and as his family. (v2)

But they were opportunists. They wanted to be with the strong who is David.

They knew what was going to happen to the northern kingdom without Abner. 

They thought they could get a better job in David’s kingdom (opportunist) if they

give the head of Ish-Bosheth to David

So they decided to kill their king, Ish-Bosheth.

2-3) What do they do with the head of Ish-Bosheth? (7b, 8a)  

7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah. 8 They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

a) They cut off the head of Ish-Bosheth. They beheaded him.

b) They took his head and traveled all night to give to David. (4:7,8)

They wanted to prove to David that they took care of his rival. 

2-4) What do they say to David? (8b)

8 They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

a) “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you.” (4:8)

They wanted to emphasize Ish-Bosheth was a son of David’s enemy. 

But David did not feel that way. 

David lamented at the death of Saul and Jonathan. (2Sam 1:17-27)

b) “The Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.” 

They used biblical terms to be shown as pious, faithful and religious men.

They justified their murder as if it was divine providence.

The end cannot justify the means. Wrong means is wrong, and murder is murder

3. Read verses 9-12. How does David answer Rekab and Baanah who killed Ish-Bosheth? (9,10) What does David tell the wicked men? (11) What order does David give to his men? (12a) What did they do with the head of Ish-Bosheth? (12b) 

3-1) Read verses 9-12.

9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!” 12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

3-2) How does David answer Rekab and Baanah who killed Ish-Bosheth? (9,10) 

9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

a) David reminded them of what he had done to Amalekite who killed Saul. (2Sam 1:14-

16) He killed the Amalekite because he killed the king Saul.

b) They did not know David’s loyalty to God and King Saul.

3-3) What does David tell the wicked men? (11) 

11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!” 

a) “Should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

David demanded the righteous judgment [justice] in his kingdom.

They were deserved to get capital punishment. (Ex 21:14)

b) David called Ish-Bosheth an innocent man instead of calling him a king.

David knew Ish-Bosheth was not Lord’s anointed. 

David did not want to attack Ish-Bosheth because he was loyal to Saul’s family. 

3-4) What order does David give to his men? (12a) 

12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

a) David gave an order to his men and they killed them. (v12)

David ordered capital punishment which is written in the Law of Moses.

He wanted his Kingdom to be governed by justice and righteousness.

b) But, David did not give an order to kill Joab who killed Abner unjustly. (2Sam 3:39)

It showed David’s failure in his family business. 

But David showed his justice this time.

3-5) What did they do with the head of Ish-Bosheth? (12b) 

a) They took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron. (4:12)

They showed their respect to him.

b) Author continuously emphasized David was loyal to Saul’s family. (1Sam 24:20-22)

David did not approve any of the death of Saul’s family including

Saul, Jonathan, Abner, and Ish-Bosheth. 

David was not an enemy of Israel including Benjamite although some people of 

Israel misunderstood that way because of Saul.

c) Sovereignty of God in the middle of wickedness of men is shown here.

God prepared the situation so that His promise would be fulfilled in the life of

David. 

Jesus’ death by wicked men also was used by God to demonstrate Sovereignty of

God because God saved all men through the death of Jesus.

It is not easy for us to see the handy work of God in the middle of wickedness of

Men.

But God is sovereign and ‘His will’ be done. (Psa 103:19; Mat 6:10)

*Things to think about more 

1) Ish-Bosheth was afraid to surrender to David.

Why did he not surrender to David [or God’s will]?

2) Baanah and Rekab got capital punishment.

Was it fair to them or too much?

According to Jesus, anger, slander is same as murder (Mat 5:22,23)

But we did not get capital punishment yet; was it fair or too less?

3) David did not give capital punishment to Joab.

What does it say about David?

4) Author continuously emphasized David’s loyalty to Saul’s family. 

Why was it so important to first recipients of this book?

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